Public Policy MSc

The MSc in Public Policy is offered as a one-year full-time or two-year part-time programme.

The programme will be delivered through:

• lectures
• seminars
• group work
• guided independent study

You will complete three taught courses per semester, one of which is compulsory, the other two optional.

Compulsory courses

• Political Issues in Public Policy (Semester 1) This course introduces you to theories and concepts used to study and understand the policy-making process and why particular policies are pursued, or not.

• Policy in Action (Semester 2) In this course groups of students work through a portfolio of materials to write a ministerial brief, in consultation with a key practitioner in the field.

Optional courses

In each semester you choose two further courses from a list of recommended options, though you may take others offered across the School. While the core courses support your working together as a programme cohort, option courses give you contact with students across topics and disciplines.

Your electives might explore:

• a specific area of policy making, such as education, energy or the labour market
• a specific policy mechanism, such as public engagement
• a specific method of information-gathering and assessment, such as comparison or evaluation

We encourage you to make the programme your own at every stage, and your programme director will help you work out what it is you really want to do.

Dissertation

After successfully completing the taught modules you will work towards an independently researched dissertation.

You can undertake a standard dissertation or potentially a placement-based dissertation, which can be undertaken in the UK or abroad.

Placement-based dissertation

The aim of the placement-based dissertation is to provide students with the opportunity to work on their dissertation with an external organisation, subject to Programme Director and Placement Adviser approval.

The projects generally consist of eight weeks of research with a host organisation from our network of contacts which includes NGOs, charities, social enterprises, think-tanks and government bodies. Placements can either be in person, hybrid or undertaken remotely. Students are also able to source their own placements subject to university approval.

Please note that a placement-based dissertation is not guaranteed as part of this programme and are by competitive application during Semester 1.

Find out more about the placement-based dissertation option via our dedicated information pages:

• SPS Placement-based dissertation

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

By the end of the programme, you will have:

• a firm grounding in a broad set of literatures on policy making and public policy
• knowledge and understanding of core explanatory theories, concepts, and issues in analysing policy
• an awareness of different models of the policy process
• an understanding of the use of concepts and measures in analysing policy
• skills to analyse and evaluate policy decisions and outcomes in a wide range of policy areas
• the ability to draw on a variety of disciplinary paradigms in understanding policy and policy making

You will also develop a range of highly transferable skills, such as communication and project management, which can be applied to roles in any field.

The MSc in Public Policy can be used as a gateway to a range of employment opportunities and further study.

Graduates from the School's postgraduate Policy programmes have gone on to employment in:

• social research organisations
• local government
• civil service
• think tanks
• voluntary and community sector organisations
• political and policy advisor roles
• work in other public and private sector bodies

Others have gone on to pursue further study at doctoral level or to take up internships.

Here are some texts that will give you a sense of the material our students may engage with:

• Bandola-Gill, J. Grek, S. Tichenor, M. (2022) Governing the Sustainable Development Goals: Quantification in Global Public Policy, Palgrave.
• Cairney, P. (2019) Understanding Public Policy: Theories and Issues, Policy Press.
• Clegg, D. & Durazzi, N. (eds.) (2023) Handbook of Labour Market Policy in Advanced Democracies, Edward Elgar.
• Crespy, A. (2022) The European Social Question: Tackling Key Controversies, Agenda Publishing.
• Guy Peters, B. & Fontaine, G. (eds.) (2020) Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Comparative Policy Analysis, Edward Elgar.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, preferably in a social science or other relevant discipline.

Entrance to this programme is competitive. You can increase your chances of a successful application by exceeding the minimum programme requirements. Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Application fee

This programme requires a non-refundable application fee.

• £50

Your application will not be processed until we have received your application fee.

• Application fee information

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money

  • taking out a loan

  • family support

• personal savings

• income from work

• employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding